Group Email Management

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for providing an enhanced managed email service are provided. According to the disclosed subject matter, the enhanced managed email service maintains a group folder for each defined email group. Rather than delivering a received email to the email folder of each member of an email group, upon receiving an email for distribution to a defined email group, the enhanced managed email service stores the email in a group folder corresponding to the email group for the entire email group. Email specifically identifying one or more recipients (in addition to group membership) is delivered to the specifically identified recipient(s). The enhanced managed email service maintains user access status with regard to the email in the group folder for each of the members of the email group. Email group members may access the email via the group folder.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Application Ser. No.14/745,725, filed Jun. 22, 2015, the entire content of which isincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

More and more, computer users (people who use a computer or computingdevice) are using email as a significant channel of communication.Further, computer users often subscribe and/or are admitted to variousemail groups to receive emails distributed to the email group membersfor a variety of reasons including personal interest, business purposes,familial communications, and the like. Often, a computer user willcreate one or more rules regarding the receipt of emails received via agroup distribution. These rules may include associating priorities foremails for certain groups, sorting and moving the various emails intofolders corresponding to a particular group, and the like.

For the computer user that joins an email group, it is often surprisingthe number of emails that he/she will receive due to membership in theemail group. Quite often, the volume of email associated with an emailgroup feels more like “spam” than valuable information. Unfortunately,reading and sorting through all of the email associated with a group,determining which item of email requires action and which is simplyinformative (or worse), requires a substantial investment of individualtime and resource. For example, quite often a computer user will wish tofurther investigate a matter if he/she is specifically identified in anemail, rather than referentially identified due to membership in anemail group. If the computer user is identified in the “To:” or “CC:” or“BCC:” lists, the computer user may be more motivated to read andrespond to an email, assuming that the sender specifically identifiedthe computer user to receive (and act upon) the email.

For those computer users are part of one or more email groups that arecomputer/email savvy, it is to them to configure email rules to move,organize and classify received emails distributed according to a groupdistribution into appropriate folders. However, not all computer usersare familiar enough with their email system to define rules to helporganize the flow of email, especially email associated with a definedemail group. For these, whenever an email is sent to a group that emailappears in the personal Inbox of a group member, along with otheremails. Further still, while individually configured email mail rules gosome way in addressing organizational issues, in this circumstance theonus is on the users rather than the email server.

In addition to forcing each use to create and/or configure rules formanaging group emails (if desired), when an email is received thatidentifies a group as a recipient, the email is distributed to (andtherefore duplicated) every group member's email inbox. This duplicationto all members of a group translates to wasted disk space at the serverand lost processing bandwidth from duplicating the file to the variousgroup members.

Further still, group membership is often dynamic. Indeed, it isunreasonable to assume that a group's membership will not grow: i.e.,add new members. Currently, when a member joins an email group, the newuser's “membership” in a group is only effective from the date on whichthat user joins the group: i.e., the new group member cannot refer thoseemails sent to the group prior to his/her joining the group. Thework-arounds are cumbersome: an earlier-joined (or original) member ofthe group could forward any important previously-send emails, or the newmember can try to peruse emails to examine the thread leading up to theemail in to obtain the required information (such as background, etc.)

SUMMARY

The following Summary is provided to introduce a selection of conceptsin a simplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. The Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, systems,computer-readable media, and methods for providing an enhanced managedemail service are provided. According to at least one embodiment of thedisclosed subject matter, the enhanced managed email service maintains agroup folder for each defined email group. Rather than delivering areceived email to the email folder of each member of an email group,upon receiving an email for distribution to a defined email group, theenhanced managed email service stores the email in a group foldercorresponding to the email group for the entire email group. Theenhanced managed email service maintains user access status with regardto the email in the group folder for each of the members of the emailgroup. Email group members may access the email via the group folder.

According to additional aspects of the disclosed subject matter, amethod for managing email directed to a defined email group on anenhanced managed email service is presented. Upon receiving an email fordistribution to recipients managed by the enhanced managed emailservice, the enhanced managed email service determines whether the emailis directed to an email group managed by the enhanced managed emailservice. After determining that the email is, in fact, directed fordistribution to an email group managed by the enhanced managed emailservice, the email is stored in a group folder common to the members ofthe email group. Those members of the email group that arereferentially-identified by the email (i.e., are members of the emailgroup) have access to the received email via the group folder.

According to further aspects of the disclosed subject matter, acomputer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions forcarrying out a method for managing email directed to a defined emailgroup is presented. Upon receiving an email for distribution torecipients managed by the enhanced managed email service, the enhancedmanaged email service determines whether the email is, at least in part,directed to an email group managed by the enhanced managed emailservice. After determining that the email is, in fact, directed to anemail group managed by the enhanced managed email service, the email isstored in a group folder common to the members of the email group. Theemail is stored in the group folder such that the members of the emailgroup have access to the received email via the group folder. Further,the enhanced managed email service sets an initial user access statusfor the received email in the group folder for each of the members ofthe email group.

According to still further aspects of the disclosed subject matter, acomputer system implementing an enhanced managed email service ispresented. The computer-system includes a processor and a memory,wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory as partof or in conjunction with additional components provide functionality ofthe enhanced managed email service. These additional components includean email service component and a group email data store. In operation,the email service component is configured to, upon receiving an emaildirected to recipients managed by the enhanced managed email service,determine whether the received email is directed to an email groupmanaged by the enhanced managed email service. After determining thatthat the email is, in fact, directed to an email group managed by theenhanced managed email service, the enhanced managed email servicestores the email in a group folder common to the members of the emailgroup in the group email data store. Members of the email group that arereferentially-identified (i.e., via the email group) by the receivedemail have access to the received email via the group folder. Theenhanced managed email service further sets an initial user accessstatus for the received email in the group folder for each of themembers of the email group.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thedisclosed subject matter will become more readily appreciated as theyare better understood by reference to the following description whentaken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary routine, as implemented by an enhancedmanaged email service;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5A-5C illustrate an exemplary user interface of anemail client in regard to receiving email according to aspect of thedisclosed subject matter;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine for creatingan email group on an enhanced managed email service;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine for adding auser (or a group) as a member of an email group;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components of anenhanced managed email service , as implemented on a computing device;and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary network environmentsuitable for implementing an enhanced managed email service.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For purposes of clarity and definition, the term “exemplary,” as used inthis document, should be interpreted as serving as an illustration orexample of something, and it should not be interpreted as an idealand/or a leading illustration of that thing. Stylistically, when a wordor term is followed by “(s)”, the meaning should be interpreted asindicating the singular or the plural form of the word or term,depending on whether there is one instance of the term/item or whetherthere is one or multiple instances of the term/item. For example, withregard to a record that may list one or more web sites, the term“email(s)” should be interpreted in the context of an inbox: that theremay be a single email in an inbox or that there may be plural emails inthe inbox.

The term “managed email service” (also referred to as a hosted emailservice) corresponds to an email service that maintains, manages, and/orhosts the emails for subscribing email users at a centralized location(a logical centralized location as the actual physical location of theemail host may be distributed across multiple computing devices). Withregard to a managed email service, an email user by way of an emailclient communicates with the managed email service to act on his/heremail (e.g., read an email, delete an email, move an email to anotherfolder, reply, forward, etc.) Examples of managed email servicespredominantly include, by way of illustration but not limited to, IMAP(Internet Message Access Protocol) email servers, and Microsoft Exchangeemail servers (using the MAPI [Messaging Application ProgrammingInterface] protocol).

For purposes of definition, the term “group email” (in contrast to an“email group”) is an email directed to an email group. In contrast to a“group email,” the term “email group” refers to a predetermined set ofemail users that are members of a defined group. The members of theemail group are said to be “subscribed” to the group. The email group isidentified by a unique email address just as an email account for anemail user is identified by a unique email address. For example, thegroup email address of an illustrative managed email service,“examplegroup.com,” may be “pearlcoregroup,” and the members of the“pearlcoregroup” group may include any number of users/members. It isnot a requirement that the subscribed members of a group be of the samedomain as the group. For example, a member of the example“pearlcoregroup” group may include a subscribed user whose email ishosted by another email service (i.e., other than “examplegroup.com”).Further still, an email group may be a subscribed member another emailgroup, e.g., an exemplary email group, “testingpearlcore,” may be asubscribed member of the “pearlcoregroup” email group.

For purposes of definition, the term “specifically-identified user”corresponds to an email address (which may correspond to a person or adefined email group) that is specifically identified as a recipient in aemail. The specifically-identified recipients include those user (oremail group) identifiers that are specifically identified in one or moredistribution lists of the email. These distribution lists typicallyinclude a “To list”, a “CC list” (also euphemistically referred to asthe carbon-copy list), and a “BCC list” (euphemistically referred to asthe blind carbon-copy list.) As those skilled in the art willappreciate, the most significant difference between the users listed inthe CC list and the BCC list is that the distribution of the email tomembers of the BCC list is (at least initially) hidden from therecipients of the email while information regarding the members listedin the CC list is available to the email recipients. In contrast to thespecifically-identified user(s), a “referentially-identified user”corresponds to an email address (which may, again, correspond to aperson or a defined email group) that is identified referentially, i.e.,distributed to the email address due to a subscription to a group. Forexample, the user corresponding to the email address“carrie@examplegroup.com” may be a subscribed member of the“pearlcoregroup” email group. In this example, the email address“carrie” would be “referentially-identified user” of an email sent tothe group email address pearlcoregroup@examplegroup.conn.

For purposed of definition, the term “folder” refers to a collection ororganization of content. The term folder is an allusion to a physicalfolder in which multiple items can be inserted and the whole can beviewed as contents of the folder. Thus, a “folder,” in regard to anenhanced managed email service, corresponds to a collection of emailitems (which may include email, attachments, and/or other data)corresponding to a specific email address (which may correspond to auser or an email group).

According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, an enhancedmanaged email service is presented. In contrast to typical managed emailservices, the enhanced managed email service is configured such that,upon receipt of an email directed to an email group, the enhancedmanaged email service stores the received email in a folder associatedwith the email group. Further still, the enhanced managed email servicemaintains a status for each member of the email group with regard toeach item of email in the folder. Upon receiving an email directed tothe email group, the initial status of email for each member of theemail group is typically set to an “unread” status. Additional featuresof an enhanced managed email service are presented below.

In regard to managing received email and in accordance with aspects ofthe disclosed subject matter, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary routine100, as implemented by an enhanced managed email service, for managinggroup emails is presented. Beginning at block 102, the enhanced managedemail service receives an email for distribution to recipients managedby the enhanced managed email service. At block 104, the enhancedmanaged email service identifies the specifically-identified recipients,excepting any defined groups, and delivers the received email to theirinbox.

While a typical managed email service would also identify the membersoff any emails groups that are identified within the delivery lists, theenhanced managed email service does not. Instead, according to aspectsof the disclosed subject matter, at decision block 106, a determinationis made by the enhanced managed email service as to whether the receivedemail identifies (i.e., is directed to) any email group that is managedby the enhanced managed email service. If there is not email groupidentified as a recipient, the routine 100 proceeds to block 114 asdescribed below. However, in the alternative, if there is an email groupidentified as a recipient, the routine 100 proceeds to block 108.

At block 108, the enhanced managed email service stores the receivedemail (including any attachments and related content/data) in an emailfolder associated with the identified email group. As indicated above,in contrast to storing a copy of the received email in each inbox (whichis also a folder) of each member of the identified email group, a singlecopy of the email is stored in the email folder associated with theidentified email group. Moreover, each member of the email group has theability to access the group's email folder (subject to any rights accessthat may be implemented).

According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, the enhancedmanaged email service tracks the access and/or status of each member ofthe email group with regard to the received email. Thus, at block 110,the enhanced managed email service sets the initial status (typicallyset to unread) for each of the email group members with regard to thereceived email.

As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, there are timesthat an email is specifically directed to user who is also a member ofan email group, which email group is also a recipient of the email. Inother words, with any given email, a specifically-identified user mayalso be a referentially-identified user. When this occurs, as indicatedabove, the received email is delivered to the inbox of thespecifically-identified user. Additionally, the specifically identifieduser can access the email due to membership in the email group—and willhave access to the email via a group folder common (i.e., commonlyaccessible) to the members of the email group, as described below. Thus,according to one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, at block112, the enhanced managed email service optionally establishes a linkbetween the email delivered to the specifically-identified recipientsand the email in the group email folder of the email group. This link ismade for purposes of managing the status of the specifically-identifieduser with regard the received email. In this embodiment, if the useraccesses the email via the user's inbox folder, the enhanced managedemail service can update the status of the user's access in both theinbox folder as well as the group folder. Similarly, if the useraccesses the email via the email group's folder, the enhanced managedemail service can update the status of the user's access in both theuser's inbox folder as well as the group folder. Of course, in anotherembodiment, an email delivered to a user's inbox folder may be viewed asa separate delivery and treated separated to that same email that isdelivered to the email group's folder. The actual implementation ofthese may be determined according to implementation needs anddeterminations.

In addition to optionally linking the email in the email group's folderwith the email delivered to the inboxes of the specifically-identifiedusers, at block 114 a notice of the received email may be pushed out tothe recipients (via the email clients of the various users) regardingthe delivered email to the inboxes of the specifically-identified usersas we as the email group folder of the referentially-identified users.Of course, in various embodiments, a notification to the email clientsof the various users is not necessary as they email clients are (or maybe) configured to periodically poll the enhanced managed email serviceregarding any updated to the various folders: inbox and group folders.

After updating the various folders/inboxes of the recipients (both thespecifically-identified recipients and the referentially identifiedrecipients), the routine 100 terminates.

While the routine 100 is described above in regard to a single emailgroup, it should be appreciated that there may be multiple email groupsidentified in the distribution lists of a received email. Moreover, asindicated above, a member of an email group may also be another emailgroup. Thus, steps 108-114 may be repeatedly executed in to processmultiple email groups that are identified as recipients of an email.

In regard to the user's perception of an enhanced managed email service,FIGS. 2-5C illustrate an exemplary user interface of an email client asthe user receives email, including receiving an email as aspecifically-identified user, receiving an email as areferentially-identified user, and receiving an email as both aspecifically-identified user and a referentially-identified user.Beginning with FIG. 2, the exemplary user interface 200 includes afolder pane 202 in which the various folders corresponding to the userare presented. As can be seen, the user's various folders include an“inbox” folder 208 which also indicates the number of unread emails,“0”, in the user's inbox folder. For purposed of this example, the inboxfolder 208 in the folder pane 202 is selected as indicated by the dashedlines. The user interface 200 also includes an email pane 204 that listsvarious items of email, such as email 210, that the user has receivedand that are stored in the user's inbox folder. For purposes of thisexample, the email 210 has been selected, as indicated by the dashedlines around the presentation of the email. Further presented in theexemplary user interface 200 is an email viewing pane 206. For purposesof this example, since the email 210 has been selected, the content ofthe email is presented in the email viewing pane 206.

Turning to FIG. 3, for purposes of this example, the user has become amember of a defined group “Pearl Core Team.” As shown in this figure,due to user becoming a member of the group, the exemplary user interface200 now includes a “Group Folders” group folder 302 in the folder pane202, and the group folder 302 includes a “Pearl Core Team” folder 304.Further still, as discussed above, with the inclusion of the user in theemail group, emails within the email folder are available to the userand the user status with regard to the emails is typically set tounread. Thus, in this example the “Pearl Core Team” folder 304 indicatesthat there are six (“6”) email items in the group folder that have notbeen read by the user. For purposes of this example, the email pane 204illustrates the exemplary email items, as indicated by box 306. Furtherstill, for purposes of this example, those email items that are unreadare indicated in bold type.

Turning to FIG. 4, for purposes of this example, the user has selected afirst email 308 of the “Pearl Core Team” folder 304 and it is displayedin the email viewing pane 206. As can be seen, the number of unreademail items in the “Pearl Core Team” folder 304 is now five (“5”),indicating that there are 5 email items in the folder that are not read.Of course, in contrast to any email items that are in the user's inboxfolder 302, the email items in the group folders, such as the “PearlCore Team” folder 304, are stored in a single folder corresponding tothe email group (in this example the “Pearl Core Team” group) andmanaged for all email group members by the enhanced managed emailservice. Moreover, a first user's access status with regard to an emailitem, such as email 402, is independent of a second user's access statuswith regard to that same email item in the group folder. In other words,updating the user access status in the group folder corresponding to afirst member of the email group does not modify the user access statusin the group folder corresponding to a second member of the email group.

Turning to FIG. 5A, for purposes of this example, the user has receivedan email in which the user is both a specifically-identified user and areferentially-identified user. As show in the user interface 200, the“Pearl Core Team” folder 304 again has six unread emails, including thenewly received email 502 (assuming, for this example, that the “PearlCore Team” folder 304 is selected for display in the email pane 204.Also shown is the user's inbox folder 208 that now indicates that anemail has been received in the user's inbox. Turning to FIG. 5B, becausethe user was both a specifically-identified user and areferentially-identified user, the email 502 is also displayed in theuser's inbox folder 208. As indicated above, in one embodiment theenhanced managed email service may link the two instances of the sameemail (though in different folders: the user's inbox folder and thegroup folder) such that reading one will cause an update in user accessstatus to the other. Alternatively, in another embodiment the enhancedmanaged email service does not link the two instances of the email andtreats each separately. In regard to the two instances being linked andturning to FIG. 5C, assuming that the user reads the instance of thenewly received email 502 in the user's inbox 208, as shown in the emailviewing pane 206, the count for new email items in the inbox 208 and thecorresponding group folder 304 are both decreased.

Turning now to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating anexemplary routine 600 for creating an email group on an enhanced managedemail service. Beginning at block 602, an instruction is received tocreate an email group. As will be readily appreciated, the request mayinclude, by way of illustration and not limitation, information such asthe name of the email group, members of the email group, administratorinformation, and the like. At block 604, the enhanced managed emailservice creates/defines the email group per the received request. Atblock 606, a group folder corresponding to the newly defined/createdemail group is created in an email data store maintained by the enhancedmanaged email service. At block 608, an iteration loop is begun to addeach identified user (from the request) to the newly created emailgroup. Thus, at block 610, the next user is added to the email group. Atblock 612, the email client of the newly added user is notifiedregarding the addition of the user to the email group, causing a groupfolder corresponding to the new email group. Thereafter, the routine 600returns to block 608 to process the next identified member to be addedto the email group. This iteration continues until all identifiedmembers of the email group are processed. Thereafter, the routine 600terminates.

Turning to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplaryroutine 700 for adding a user (or a group) as a member of an emailgroup. Beginning at block 702, an instruction is received to add a userto an existing email group. At block 704, the user is added to theidentified email group. At block 706, the email client of the newlyadded user is notified regarding the addition of the user to the emailgroup, causing a group folder corresponding to the new email group to bedisplayed by the user's email client. Thereafter, the routine 700terminates.

Regarding routines 100, 600 and 700 described above, as well as anyother processes describe herein, while these routines/processes areexpressed in regard to discrete steps, these steps should be viewed asbeing logical in nature and may or may not correspond to any actualand/or discrete steps of a particular implementation. Also, the order inwhich these steps are presented in the various routines and processes,unless otherwise indicated, should not be construed as the only order inwhich the steps may be carried out. In some instances, some of thesesteps, including those identified as being optional, may be omitted.Those skilled in the art will recognize that the logical presentation ofsteps of a routine or process is sufficiently instructive to carry outaspects of the claimed subject matter irrespective of any particularlanguage in which the logical instructions/steps are embodied.

Of course, while these routines and processes include various novelfeatures of the disclosed subject matter, other steps (not listed) mayalso be carried out in the execution of the subject matter set forth inthese routines and processes. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the logical steps of these routines/processes may be combinedtogether or be comprised of multiple discrete steps. Steps of theabove-described routines and processes may be carried out in parallel orin series. Often, but not exclusively, the functionality of the variousroutines and processes is embodied in software (e.g., applications,system services, libraries, executable modules, and the like) that isexecuted on one or more processors of computing devices, such as thecomputing device described below in regard FIG. 8. Additionally, invarious embodiments all or some of the various routines may also beembodied in executable hardware modules including, but not limited to,system on chips, codecs, specially designed processors and or logiccircuits, digital signal processors, and the like on a computer deviceor system.

As indicated, these routines/processes are typically embodied withinexecutable code modules comprising routines, functions, loopingstructures, selectors such as if-then and if-then-else statements,assignments, arithmetic computations, and the like. However, the exactimplementation in executable statement of each of the routines is basedon various implementation configurations and decisions, includingprogramming languages, compilers, target processors, operatingenvironments, and the linking or binding operation. Those skilled in theart will readily appreciate that the logical steps identified in theseroutines may be implemented in any number of ways and, thus, the logicaldescriptions set forth above are sufficiently enabling to achievesimilar results.

While many novel aspects of the disclosed subject matter are expressedin routines and processes embodied within applications (also referred toas computer programs), apps (small, generally single or narrow purposed,applications), and/or methods, these aspects may also be embodied ascomputer-executable instructions stored by computer-readable media, alsoreferred to as computer-readable storage media, which are articles ofmanufacture. As those skilled in the art will recognize,computer-readable media can host, store and/or reproducecomputer-executable instructions and data for later retrieval and/orexecution. When the computer-executable instructions that are hosted orstored on the computer-readable storage devices are executed, theexecution thereof causes, configures and/or adapts the executingcomputing device (or devices) to carry out various steps, methods and/orfunctionality, including those steps, methods, routines and processesdescribed above. Examples of computer-readable media include, but arenot limited to: optical storage media such as Blu-ray discs, digitalvideo discs (DVDs), compact discs (CDs), optical disc cartridges, andthe like; magnetic storage media including hard disk drives, floppydisks, magnetic tape, and the like; memory storage devices such asrandom access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), memory cards, thumbdrives, and the like; cloud storage (i.e., an online storage service);and the like. While computer-readable media may, in operation, delivercomputer-executable instructions and/or data stored on the media to acomputing device for execution via various transmission means andmediums, including transmission over carrier waves and/or propagatedsignals, for purposes of this disclosure computer readable mediaexpressly excludes carrier waves and/or propagated signals.

Turning now to FIG. 8, FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating exemplarycomponents of an enhanced managed email service 800, as implemented on acomputing device. The exemplary enhanced managed email service 800includes one or more processors (or processing units), such as processor802, and a memory 804. The processor 802 and memory 804, as well asother components, are interconnected by way of a system bus 810.

The memory 804 typically (but not always) comprises both volatile memory806 and non-volatile memory 808. Volatile memory 806 retains or storesinformation so long as the memory is supplied with power. In contrast,non-volatile memory 808 is capable of storing (or persisting)information even when a power supply is not available. Generallyspeaking, RAM and CPU cache memory are examples of volatile memory 806whereas ROM, solid-state memory devices, memory storage devices, and/ormemory cards are examples of non-volatile memory 808.

The exemplary enhanced managed email service 800 further includes anetwork communication component 812 for interconnecting this managedemail service with other devices over a computer network, such as usercomputing devices 902-906 communicating over network 908 as set forth inFIG. 9. The network communication component 812, which is sometimesreferred to as a network interface card or NIC, communicates over anetwork using one or more communication protocols via aphysical/tangible (e.g., wired, optical, etc.) connection, a wirelessconnection, or both. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled inthe art, a network communication component, such as networkcommunication component 812, is typically comprised of hardware and/orfirmware components (and may also include or comprise executablesoftware components) that transmit and receive digital and/or analogsignals over a transmission medium (i.e., the network.)

As will be readily appreciated, the processor 802 executes instructionsretrieved from the memory 804 (and/or from computer-readable media) incarrying out various functions, particularly in regard to responding toa single entity intent search query. The processor 802 may be comprisedof any of a number of available processors such as single-processor,multi-processor, single-core units, and multi-core units.

In addition to the components described above, the enhanced managedemail service 800 includes an email service component 820 thatimplements typical managed email services as modified per the discussionand described above. In particular, the email service component 820directs emails to the inboxes of specifically-identified users andmaintains a single copy of an email directed to an email group in acorresponding group folder. Further, the email service component 820maintains user status with regard to each item of email in the groupfolder for each of the members of the corresponding email group. Theemail service component 820 utilizes and maintains a group email datastore 822 that includes group data 824 regarding the email groupsdefined on the enhanced managed email service, as well as group folders826 for each of the defined email groups. The group data 824 includesinformation such as (by way of illustration) the email group name, alist of users, privileges of each user (including, by way ofillustration and not limitation, administrative privileges, read/writeabilities, delete abilities, security restrictions), and the like. Eachof the group folders 826, such as group folder 830, includes email itemssent to the corresponding email group, such as email item 832, as wellas user status records corresponding to each email item for each of themembers of the email group, as indicated by user status records 834.Information (not shown) that links an email in an inbox to an email inthe group folder is also included with each of the emails in the groupfolder.

Regarding the various components of the exemplary enhanced managed emailservice 800, those skilled in the art will appreciate that thesecomponents may be implemented as executable software modules stored inthe memory of the computing device, as hardware modules and/orcomponents (including SoCs—system on a chip), or a combination of thetwo. Moreover, in certain embodiments each of the various components maybe implemented as an independent, cooperative process or device,operating in conjunction with or on one or more computer systems and orcomputing devices. It should be further appreciated, of course, that thevarious components described above should be viewed as logicalcomponents for carrying out the various described functions. As thoseskilled in the art will readily appreciate, logical components and/orsubsystems may or may not correspond directly, in a one-to-one manner,to actual, discrete components. In an actual embodiment, the variouscomponents of each computing device may be combined together ordistributed across multiple actual components and/or implemented ascooperative processes on a computer network.

Turning now to FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating anexemplary network environment 900 suitable for implementing an enhancedmanaged email service 800. The exemplary network environment 900includes user computing devices, such as user computing devices 902-906communicating with the enhanced managed email service 800 over acomputer network, such as network 908. The network may include theInternet, a wide area network or WAN, a local area network or LAN, andthe like. As will be appreciated, email client applications executing onthe various user computing devices 902-906 interconnected the enhancedmanaged email service 800 in receiving email information for acorresponding user, and in sending email to other users including usersmanaged by the enhanced managed email service 800 as well as other emailservices.

While various novel aspects of the disclosed subject matter have beendescribed, it should be appreciated that these aspects are exemplary andshould not be construed as limiting. Variations and alterations to thevarious aspects may be made without departing from the scope of thedisclosed subject matter.

What is claimed:
 1. A computer-implemented method for managing an email,the method comprising: receiving the email, the email directed to aplurality of recipients, wherein a first recipient of the plurality ofrecipients identifies a group and a second recipient of the plurality ofrecipients identifier a user, wherein the user is a member of the group;adding the email, based on the first recipient, to a first folderassociated with the group accessible by the user; adding the email,based on the second recipient, to a second folder accessible by theuser; linking the email in the first folder with the email in the secondfolder; and in response to the user accessing the email in the firstfolder, causing an update to the email in the second folder via thelinking.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causingthe update to the email in the second folder includes causing an updateto a status of the email in the second folder.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second recipient isa specifically-identified recipient of the email.
 4. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first folder isaccessible by each member of the group.
 5. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user accessingthe email in the first folder, causing an update to the email in thefirst folder.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, whereincausing the update to the email in the first folder includes causing anupdate to a status of the email in the first folder for the user withoutcausing an update to a status of the email in the first folder for adifferent member of the group.
 7. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein the second recipient comprises a user identified in a“To” distribution list associated with the email.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second recipientcomprises a user identified in a “CC” distribution list associated withthe email.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein thesecond recipient comprises a user identified in a “BCC” distributionlist associated with the email.
 10. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving an instruction toadd a new member to the group providing access to the new member of thegroup to the first folder, and setting an initial status for the newmember of the group for each email in the first folder.
 11. Acomputer-readable medium bearing computer executable instructions that,when executed on a computing system comprising at least a processor,carry out a method for managing an email, the method comprising:receiving the email, the email directed to a plurality of recipients,wherein a first recipient of the plurality of recipients identifies agroup and a second recipient of the plurality of recipients identifier auser, wherein the user is a member of the group; adding the email, basedon the first recipient, to a first folder associated with the groupaccessible by the user; adding the email, based on the second recipient,to a second folder accessible by the user; linking the email in thefirst folder with the email in the second folder; and in response to theuser accessing the email in the first folder, causing an update to theemail in the second folder via the linking.
 12. The computer-readablemedium of claim 11, wherein causing the update to the email in the firstfolder includes causing an update to a status of the email in the secondfolder.
 13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the secondrecipient is a specifically-identified recipient of the email.
 14. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first folder isaccessible by each member of the group.
 15. The computer-readable mediumof claim 11, the method further comprising in response to the useraccessing the email in the first folder, causing an update to the emailin the second folder.
 16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11,wherein causing the update to the email in the first folder includescausing an update to a status of the email in the first folder for theuser without causing an update to a status of the email in the firstfolder for a different member of the group.
 17. A computer systemcomprising: a processor; and a memory, the processor configured, viaexecution of instructions stored in the memory, to: receive an email,the email directed to a plurality of recipients, the plurality ofparticipants including a first participant and a second participant, addthe email to a first folder within an inbox of a user based on the firstrecipient and set a first status of the email in the first folder, addthe email to a second folder within the inbox of the user based on thesecond recipient and set a second status of the email in the secondfolder, and link the email in the first folder with the email in thesecond folder such that access of the email in one of the first folderand the second folder by the user causes an update to both the firststatus of the email in the first folder and the second status of theemail in the second folder.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein thefirst recipient identifiers a group and wherein the user is a member ofthe group.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second recipientidentifies one of the user or a second group wherein the user is amember of the second group.
 20. The system of claim 17, wherein thefirst folder is accessible by each member of the group and wherein theprocessor is configured to cause the update to the first status of theemail in the first folder by causing an update to a first status of theemail in the first folder for the user without causing an update to astatus of the email in the first folder for a different member of thegroup.